1. Field of Technology
Embodiments disclosed herein relate generally to a switching power converter and more specifically to monitoring for unsafe operating conditions of a switching transistor of the switching power converter.
2. Description of the Related Arts
LED lamp systems generally include a conventional LED lamp used with a conventional dimmer switch. Conventional dimmer switches adjust lamp input voltage using a TRIAC circuit. A TRIAC is a bidirectional device that conducts current in either direction when it is triggered (i.e., turned on). Once triggered, the TRIAC continues to conduct until the current drops below a certain threshold, called a holding current threshold. For the internal timing of a TRIAC dimmer to function properly, current must be drawn from the dimmer at certain times. Unfortunately, conventional LED lamps are unable to draw current from the dimmer switch in a manner that allows the internal circuitry of the dimmer to function properly.